#im gonna show him youll see: jinx interaction

[shimmerbeasts]

TEMPTING – VERY TEMPTING. Such an offer, but this one has slipped through her claws once before, and how others had been punished for such bold and daring actions to try and read between the lines. That was her job, her contracts were ironclad and always tilted the scales into her favor, always. She cannot be cheated, she cannot be tricked, she cannot be robbed of what she is owed and this one, well let’s just say that her interest was there and that was free for the time being, everything else afterwards .. well that was going to become costly and this little mortal was already within serious debt, no point in adding to the collector and having countless fight all over the pieces once it comes time to carve her up. “Is this a bad time darling, do you need another forty winks to get some beauty sleep.” A hand on her chest and a coy smile upon her lips, false flattery and mocking words aplenty, but it is the nature of such dealings.  She already had her claws in many little pets within the land, why on earth would she want for anymore than what she had, but then again.  A deal was a deal and a contract was almost mouth watering to cut out her useless debtors and merely go right to the person causing her so much trouble and offer them, well what everyone wants, the deal of a lifetime.  No tricks, no little back doors, just a simple deal, what she wants, in exchange for what she wants, it was truly so simple. She had the blade, a hero, a legend within the land, but how he fights and denies, time and time again, how this ought to work. “I am here, to see if you wish for more from me, your sample, is it not to your liking, and that is nothing compared to what you can have, if you only ask for it.”

"Ha ha ha", Jinx called out, feigning amusement at the joke, "I cannot contain my laughter. Ha ha ha."

Her mismatched eyes drifted over towards Mizora's large, bat-like wings. Bats had hollow bones. It allowed them to fly. They also were particularly fragile and the leathery skin, too, was something, which ought not be damaged. Jinx idly wondered whether or not Mizora would be robbed of the power of flight if she yanked just hard enough, twisted her bones by a joint and caused it to snap. Or perhaps she should take out her dagger and cut into the leathery skin that way.

The thoughts felt good like dipping your bare feet into the warm waters of a boiling spring. They coaxed a sly smile out of Jinx's lips and her tail flicked from one side to the next. Still, she forced the contemplation down. As much as she wanted to do it - and that desire burned to the point her muscles cramped -, she knew it would jeopardise Wyll's safety and hers. The tiefling could not let that happen.

Hearing Mizora ask her what she wanted, if she wanted more power, the warlock began to pace back and forth like a displacer beast in a cage, large tentacles flicking back and forth. Powder peered after her, the familiar's tail matching her tail's slow curls and flicks. Jinx closed her fingers around her chin as she thought long and hard. Finally, she stopped and looked at Mizora.

"Here is the kicker", Jinx admitted, "I am not really after more power, so I really do not know how to ask for what I want. I am more invested in what's going on in here." She tapped a clawed finger against her temple. "Not the tadpole, mind yah! I am more interested in the whole other stuff. All these images and intrusive thoughts... I do not wanna get rid of them. But I do wanna understand them better. I think in the past, I specifically chose to become a ranger to understand what goes on in my head, but it didn't lead to the result, I wanted. Hunting game in the woods and even hunting people is different than the way people are, well, diabolical. Soooo, do you think you can help me on that front? Or is that out of a devil's skill book?"

@fallesto cont. from here.

[shimmerbeasts]

Jinx was completely oblivious to the world around her. She did not notice Vi's terror, nor the looming suspicion, crawling up her sister's back, infecting her like one of Caitlyn's intoxicating, poisonous whispers. Instead, the Loose Canon was in her own mind, cradling the bullet and cooing over it like a Piltovan lady might over a lap dog. The Shimmer had barely leaked out of the bone. Good, good. Papa would be pleased. She could not afford spillage. She could not afford to waste the purple gold. It had become scarcer now.

With Silco's death, Shimmer was no longer as mass-produced as it used to be. However, Zaunites still wanted their fix of the purple liquid. Whether that be because they needed it for their prosthetics or because they wanted to escape poverty and dream for a while or, what Jinx loved to supply and feed the most, to awaken their inner monster and let loose for a while. Even with the Enforcer's best attempts to shut down their affairs, Jinx defended their supplies and sources tooth and claw.

Jinx saw herself as the distributor and guardian of Silco's inheritance, Shimmer. While everybody licked their teeth for the miracle drug, Jinx made sure that only those loyal and worthy of Papa's love got the vials. She would hunt down anyone else, who thought they could just keep Shimmer for themselves. Certainly when they had not earned it. It was why Jinx had to make sure that every bone bullet found its way back to her. After all, Silco belonged to Jinx and had to be protected. Had to be allowed to feed his blood hunger, but must never be trodden upon.

Her head swung up when a clipped, strangulated voice reached her ears. Oh, that was right! Vi was here too. Her sister sat there, fist pressed against her mouth and her stomach flexed. What should have been a comforting sight - after all a flexing stomach was a fed stomach -, now was filled with a strange feeling of dread. Even when they had been younger, Powder had been far less scrupulous about the consumption of meat, originating from untrustworthy sources.

If she could have, she would have easily eaten her parents too! However when Vander had offered them to perform the last rite, Vi had not taken a single bite, and Powder had joined her in solidarity. Now she wished she had followed her urge and feasted upon her mother and father. No doubt, their corpses were now too decomposed and mummified to be edible.

"Yes, Silco!", Jinx vehemently defended her choice, "He was my father and a respected gang leader. Of course, I ate him! Just like we should have eaten Mama and Papa when the Enforcers killed them. But then maybe your desire to be the perfect Piltie for your stupid girlfriend flattened your teeth! Is that what happened, Vi? Did Sherrif Sharlatan polish down your fangs? Are they tiny, little nubs now?"

And then Vi had the bloody gall to claim that the Cause would make things worse! That Powder was too dumb to see that. That she should know better. Jinx immediately grabbed her pistol and pointed Zapper at Vi's chest. Just one little push and the nasty shock of Hextech crystals - beautiful, sparkly magic from the realm of the silly-billies! - would make her sister convulse on the ground. That'll teach her not to be such a loudmouth!

"DON'T YOU DARE -!", spat Jinx out, "Don't you dare speak of the Cause as if you know what it is! You cannot even bother to remember my name! So what business do you have, voicing your opinion here?! You haven't been in Zaun for over eight years! You were stuck in a stupid prison, suckling on bread and water, and all it took, was some stupid Enforcer with a round enough booty to break you out and suddenly, you are at her back and call - AND IT IS LIKE I DON'T MATTER AT ALL!"

A part of Vi subconsciously knew the bullet had to be important, the fact it was made of bone and that Powder had it. And that is what scared Vi, and the small inkling of whose bone it was. For now, she didn't ask those questions just yet, fear grasping at her throat at knowing who it might be and it sickened her just to think about it. The bullet brushed between her pointer and finger before rolling into the center of her palm and turned her head up to gaze at Jinx, watching her reaction. Needing to see just how she would react.

The smile alone troubled Vi. Her brows lowered, as she talked to the bullet as if it was some personal pet she had lost. Vi never talked to her gauntlets, and Caitlyn never spoke to her weapons as if they were real. So childlike and yet disturbing in every contrast. Vi slowly curled her fingers into her palm, glad to be rid of the object but now waiting for an answer. Vi's legs lifted just a little, bent at the knee as she rested her arms against them.

"Silco!" Vi's voice clipped suddenly, as her inkling of a thought came to fruition. Fingers curled into a fist as she pulled her hand up and pressed it to her lips, her stomach twisted in disgust at Powder so easily stated she ate him. This is why she wanted Powder out of Zaun, they deserved better than eating others down there. To have food at their fingertips and not scavenging the dead. But this concept had always sickened her, and when it came to their parents Vi couldn't do it. Nothing within her could make her take her parents' flesh and eat them; the idea of eating their parents would join them together in death. An honorable ritual, but Vi's stomach could only twist and turn as she threatened to throw up her dinner.

But then to know she also added Shimmer to the bullets. She had tried to destroy Shimmer, and yet it still existed! She knew taking out one facility wouldn't do it, but still, she wanted it off the streets, off the shelves. It was more than that though; Shimmer meant Silco still existed and people kept him alive but selling, trading, and using it. And now, her own sister was dosed in Shimmer, running through her veins. She could see the glow in her eyes. "That's not going to work, Powder," Vi stated quickly and shook her head. "This Cause, it's not going to help anything. It's only going to make things worse. It already is worse after what happened," Vi said, the rocket being set off had caused a war between the two sister states. Even though Vi lived within Piltover now, she still felt the scorn and hatred from the Pilties around. She nipped at the heels and growled more often than she wanted to keep herself from snapping back.

But Powder had escalated things beyond belief. "Don't you see how this Cause has only made this go from bad to worse? And if you start shooting bullets at every single Piltie, what is that going to accomplish? come on Powder, you smarter then this,"

[shimmerbeasts]

RP: Found Culprit

"What?! Are you telling me you, brat, do not even have the galls to finish me after all of this?!"

Despite the man's attempt to yell as loudly as possible, his voice was hoarse and shaky. His body had exhausted itself screaming in agony over the last couple of hours. He was marked by signs of torture. Bruises, the size of balled fists and knuckle imprints bloomed across his torso, belly and back. One of his eyes had swollen shut, blood dropped from a busted, split lip and his hair had a sweaty dampness to it.

The man was kneeling on the floor with thick ropes binding his hands behind his back. The cap of one of his knees had jumped out to the side, making the entire knee swell and turn dark purple-blue. It stood in stark contrast to the man's chalk-whiteness.

Jinx had disappeared outside of the front door of the almost empty warehouse. As soon as she had left, Sevika turned around with a far greater speed than expected. The brown woman crossed the space between her and the man, whose nose was still crusted up with the snot of his not-yet-healed disease. Without any hesitation, Sevika shoved two of her metal talons into his nostrils and pushed his head up. The sharp metal cut and irritated the slimy tissue and the man let out a sudden wail.

"She's not a brat", Sevika spat out, "She's the boss's daughter! You watch your mouth around her."

She scowled as she inspected the sniffling man below her before she eased her claws out of his nose. The man sneezed, his body bending forward as if he wanted to protect his vital organs and his face from the sharp metal arm hovering far too close for personal comfort.

However, he wasn't even granted that comfort for as he curled in on himself, the Chompers attached to his belly sunk their iron teeth deeper into his exposed flesh. Tears welled up in his eyes before he uncurled himself. The grenades continued to jiggle in him but remained blissfully untriggered. His dried blood had mixed with the smell of the urine, he must have let go off in the early hours of torture.

Sevika scoffed in disappointment. The men working for other Chem-Barons became more lacklustre as time dragged on. Silco was right. The whole rabble had turned into parasites, dulling their claws and fangs in the process. Lowlife vermin, which could not even stick to something as simple as a quarantine during the Sickly Months for their safety. And look where it had gotten them!

"A word of advice:", Sevika spoke and her lips pulled into an unfriendly smile, dark eyes blackening with bile, "Once Silco finds out who's behind his current state, you are going to wish that Jinx in her impulsivity had just killed you."

The door to Silco's office was open with such gusto that it banged loudly against the opposite wall. Only one person would ever have the courage and nerve to barge into the Eye of Zaun's office unannounced and unhindered like that, and that very same person was now standing in the doorway, her chest heaving for she had sprinted from the docks all the way back to The Last Drop.

Where Sevika was tall and a muscular, dark behemoth, Jinx was small, lean and as pale as a ghost. The only stark detail about her appearance was her long cobalt-blue braids, which swayed behind her trembling legs like the nervous tail of a cat. She was dressed in punkish attire from a black tank top to purple striped pants to purple sleeves, ending in a pair of dark, finger-less, leather gloves with golden brass on the knuckles.

Right now, Jinx looked even more dirty than she was anyhow from her experiments and misfiring explosions, covering her in soot and smudges of ash. Her utility belt missed two Chompers and Zapper's barrel tip was darkened from dried up blood. Some blobs still trickled down the edge. Jinx's huge, sapphire-blue eyes were darting around, looking for Silco with an expression of concern, alarm and excitement.

Back when Silco had gotten infected with Noxian Flu from an envoy from another, back then unidentified territory, Jinx had been in a lot of alarm. Most diseases during the Sickly Months could bear quite the fatal results. However, Singed had assured her that with enough Shimmer, some additional medicine as well as lots of rest, her father would recover swiftly, provided he stayed quarantined.

It had only been a couple of days ago that the eerie doctor deemed Silco healthy enough to come back to The Last Drop to do some mild work. Yet even so, Sevika had pulled double duty to ensure none of Silco's plans were delayed. The gang had also done its hardest to ensure that the common people had no idea that the Eye of Zaun had gotten sick to the point he had been bedridden for weeks.

Even so, it was still hard for Jinx to see her father in the state, he was in now. Silco could work mostly normally, however, he still relied on a highly decorative cane to get from one place to the next. Still, the Doctor had said that her Papa had survived the worst of the disease and was well on his way to recovery.

Jinx tried to steady her excitement. Letting the door fall shut behind herself, she rushed over to the desk and with hands slamming upon the wood, she leaned forwards, balancing on the tip of one foot, the other leg kicking up, as Jinx announced with a bright smile:

"WE FOUND THE CULPRIT, PAPA! He works for Finn!"

Starter for @zaunseye.

[shimmerbeasts]

It was another quiet night at The Last Drop. Just enough patrons to justify keeping the doors open, and never a lack of people looking for a stiff drink. Operation had been moving rather smoothly since Vi torn away the ugly signs and even uglier presence that Silco and his goons had filled the bar with in her time away. She wasted no time in tearing away all of that garbage, and polishing the hidden gem of the old rustic bar. Rumor already bumbled around, this Hellhound of the Underground being Vander's prodigy, how the new barkeep even took a name that echoed her adoptive father's title in her own way. Vi felt right at home around the clinking of glasses and the joyful laughs of the patrons. Standing at the bar, the mercenary swiped her bar rag through another bowler glass and set it against the counter, fishing out a bottle of scotch. She swept it up with easy hands and poured the Bilgewater export into the the glass, serving it neat to one of the inebriated consumers sitting at the bar. Just as she moved to put the bottle back, she felt.. Strange. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and there was a sudden pit of dread in her stomach. Her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips, only to find her mouth to be sucked dry as well. She glanced around quickly, finding nothing out of place. It didn't feel like an episode, so what the hell was happening? She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by the sudden blast of an inferno. The explosion that came from seemingly nowhere was strong enough to rock the very foundation of the bar, the ceiling quivering and dropping particles of dust down, and the first two round tables were engulfed by the blue plume of shimmering smoke. Vi instinctively brought her hands up to defend her face, but she was too slow. A metal band fired off from the hinges and knocked the brawler right in the face, ripping an ugly gash across her cheek and the bridge of her crooked nose, not far below her eye. She dropped to the ground and clutched at her face, hot and panicked breaths escaping her for a moment. She drew her right hand back and stared at the hot blood gathered against it, before she swiped it on her shirt an shoved her hands into the Atlas Gauntlets behind the bar top. She drew a breath in to steady her mind as five distinct scents hit her nose. Blood. Gunpower. Sulfur. Flesh. Smoke. Patrons screamed and panicked, and Vi knew she had to act. Who the hell had just blasted a gaping hole where her front door had been previously been? "Hey asshole, I didn't ask for a remodel!" Vi called out as she jumped the bar suddenly, looking to the patrons who were panicking. She tried to not pay any mind to the four who laid dead on the floor. In a quieter voice, she regarded them. "Back door. Get the hell out. We're closed for the night." She whispered, watching them scramble, before she brought her defensive stance to the door, blading her body. She watched with bated breath as the figure slowly emerged.. And her silvered eyes shimmered with a hint of blue. "Pow-pow?" The name left her lips in a disbelieving tone, and her fists dropped suddenly. No, no, not now. Her gaze only softened for a second, before she drew her brows in and raised her hands again. Her scarred lip drew into a scowl. "The asshole who desecrated this place the first time 'round is dead. What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hated how her voice trembled. She never wanted to talk to her sister like that. But.. Was she still her sister? She was Jinx now, and Vi failed to kick those delusions out. Silco ruined her, and she feared she was too far gone. Even though Vi had her gauntlets on, her fists up... Her certainty wavered.

The patrons of the bar panicked; their shouts and screams, the trampling of their feet filled Jinx with satisfaction and grim pleasure. Whoever had tried to establish themselves here had certainly forgotten the powerful and terrifying Chem-Baron, who had controlled the Lanes for eight, prosperous years. And just as the bar owner had forgotten who ruled this place, so had the patrons.

Furthermore, many had made the mistake of assuming the living legacy of Silco was out for the count. Just because Jinx was no longer as present in the Lanes as she had been when Silco was alive, did not mean that she would not defend what she saw rightfully as belonging to her father and now Sevika.

Even so, nothing could have prepared Jinx for the person who stepped out of the chaos in The Last Drop to confront her. She still wore those heavy, ugly, navy-blue Gauntlets, laced with gold. They did not fit into the environment, marking themselves out as coming from the other side of the river, from Piltover. However, that dark red leather jacket and short, magenta hair, those stark, blazing blue eyes would always be recognisable for her - and seeing her sister right now in that carnage, marking herself as the owner and desecrater of The Last Drop was like a stab through the heart.

"Vi?", whispered Jinx in confusion and could feel herself balk. Her innards twisted and the hair on her neck stood up. She threw her head around in a distressed shake like a shying horse. "No, no, no, no!", she called out, "That cannot be right! This is a lie! A trick!"

However, then Vi's softened expression darkened and her fists rose. She was still wearing those garish Gauntlets, that symbolised the other side. No doubt, Caitlyn Kiramman gave them to her. Anything to make Violet indebted to her and put her on a leash. Anything to give her sister even more of a reason to pull away from Jinx and pretend that she was a stranger.

She mirrored Violet's action, bringing Pow-Pow forth. Her eyes darkened and she blinked angry tears away as she had to hear her once more speak of Silco in such a vile language. Her purple gaze briefly darted over towards the gash underneath her eye, out of which dripped fresh blood.

Jinx spoke angrily: "Do not talk of Silco like that! He took The Last Drop fair and square! Unlike you. Since when do you believe you have any claim towards this bar? I thought you were Topside, chumming it with that Piltie Enforcer buddy of yours." There was a hopeful and maddening gleam in her purple eyes as she called out: "No way! Did she grow tired of her trencher toy?!"

@undercity-merc cont. from here.

[shimmerbeasts]

Stalking The Wounded Dog

Following Vi had been a thing of ease.

When an animal was wounded enough, it usually tried to find refuge in some secluded spot where it could bleed out in peace and safe from the leering eyes of predators. Not Vi though. Vi chose to take her wounds and wear them like black paint on her skin, presenting herself for all the leering predators and their salivating jaws as if she was daring them to rip her apart.

While Jinx apparently made a mockery of Zaun's animalism by becoming more than a predator, Vi made a mockery of her heritage by turning her role in the natural order inside out. Vi had not filed down her fangs and claws as Jinx had feared. She had done something worse. She had traded those weapons for bucking hooves and piercing horns. She had made herself a wounded prey animal and she fought with the fear of death against everybody in that ring.

The air in the hall of the underground fighting ring was stale and dusty. The sickly pale green light of lamps installed in the ceiling reminded Jinx of Zaun. Funny how that worked. Ever since her rocket, it seemed some of her home's violence had spilt over into perfect Piltover. The floor had been busted open to expose the rot underneath.

The hall was packed. A sea of people from the lower houses and classes of Piltover. Enforcers, cobblers, traders. All those, who did not have enough money to live in a house of marble and gold. Jinx thought she could even catch sight of the leering, leathery hides of Zaunites with their flashing fangs, rolling tongues and clicking claws. She let herself be pushed forth by the maelstrom, cocooned in a simple greyish-brown hood to conceal her telltale blue bangs and startling purple eyes. The visitors were creating a pooling river from the betting stands over towards the edges of the arena where you could look inside.

Jinx finally reached the betting stand. In a swing sat a yordle with grey skin and sunken, green eyes; his fat, little body was practically trapped in an ugly, bright yellow jacket. Jinx wondered idly if his guts would spill coins as she watched him munch on a few tentacles, riddled with grittle.

"Yes?", he asked.

"Red betting cards", Jinx ordered, her voice quiet and hoarse. She rummaged in her cloak in search of her coin purse and asked idly: "Is it possible to meet the young upstart post-stage?"

The yordle let out a throaty laugh, spit flying in Jinx's face. She remained unmoving, though her nostrils twitched and her lips pulled down.

"You are a fan of our young upstart, eh?", the ringleader said with a slimy grin on his round, bat-like face, "Can see why. That crazy butch has been wiping the competition left and right since she started here. Brought in a nice sum of money."

"In a manner of speaking", Jinx answered the question, "Now can you arrange this or not?"

The yordle shook his head and said: "Sorry, cutie, but normally, we don't do behind-the-scenes meetings. Though maybe I make an exception for you, sweetie. Go all in with something that is worth it. If our violent panther wins, you are free to meet her."

Jinx reached under her cloak again and procured her Zapper pistol. The yordle's eyes went wide. He called: "Oh, that's a fancy gadget you got there, cutie. All in then?" Jinx slammed Zapper on the wood and shoved him in the direction of the yordle. Her voice was like ice as she said: "All in."

The crowd was in uproar as the beginning of the first match drew nearer. Jinx let herself be manoeuvred closer to the edge of the pit. Standing between two other burly men, who almost obscured her from view, a single purple eye stared down at the pit, burning with fever.

The ring leader's voice came over a speaker as he shouted: "Good evening lads and lassies! Welcome to the first round of Piltover's Boxing League! Today we have an exciting match for y'all! Are you ready?" The crowd cheered, whooped and stomped their feet. "In the right corner, we have our defender of the golden belt! Last year's champion! You know him, you love him! Give it up for Thundering Thomas!"

Under a loud roar, a large, muscular man a good two times Vi's size came running into the ring. He only wore a pair of shorts, adorned with the aforementioned golden belt, a heavy leather item, adorned with a giant golden buckle. He had pale blond hair, which looked like he had been struck by lightning once, judging by how weirdly jagged it sat on his head. The man pounded his chest, roaring as loudly as possible while the crowd cheered him on.

Jinx stayed silent, though as the part of the announcement, she was actually here for, came through, she grinned wily. "And in the left corner, we have his challenger! You were just as surprised by her upstart as I was! Give a hearty welcome to the newest and most vicious member of our ring! Don't let her claws hit you. Here is Tigress!"

Excited thrills and whistles could be heard. Someone very drunk in the back row yelled: "Please go out with me!" Jinx gave a derisive snort, however, she gave a hearty clap, her rhythm a similar pattern to the slow clap, Silco had done in the cannery so many years ago. As the yordle prepared to bang the gong, shouting for bets, Jinx merely raised her hand with cold confidence, flashing one of the few red cards in the entire room. She fell silent, purple gaze locked exclusively on Vi as the gong rang in her ears.

@ferinehuntress

[shimmerbeasts]

Coming back from a high of Shimmer was already absolute torture. Coming back from the Hounding mindset, particularly if this had been forced upon you without your consent, was that same torture, but for the recipient an infinite amount of times worse. Jinx could not help but scowl in disgust as she saw the side of Ekko, which she loved so very much, the side, which was hers by right, be replaced by this snivelling, little boy, who claimed to be the real Ekko.

Even when Ekko and her had been children, Jinx could not recall Ekko being such a weak coward, much less a pretentious moraliser. He was as brilliant as her, always a new invention in his bright mind. Most of all, though, Ekko wanted to fight as badly as she did. Jinx remembered them practising a few punching moves, which Vi had taught them. They would drive around in spheres of iron and glass, kicking the pedals as they flipped off the Enforcers, moving too fast for any of them to catch. This Ekko had wanted to fight and tear as much as the Hound did nowadays. This Ekko had let her take the lead, even though they had been too young to even understand what that meant.

Now, she had to deal with this snivelling, shaken newborn of a deer, still wet from the womb, and that thing dared to accuse her of being some immoral beast and how Silco was wrong and ruined the Undercity with Shimmer. Disgraceful. Jinx sneezed in anger. What did Ekko know? He had carved out his own stupid, little territory and flew around Zaun on his precious, little hoverboard, babbling about how he was saving people from their addiction. After all, this was what this whole fiasco had been - an ill-guided attempt at saving people.

Cold, unrelenting blue eyes watched Ekko shiver and sniffle before her, seeing his dead comrades through teary eyes and snot in his mouth and nose. Jinx could detect the sickness rise in Ekko before he fell down on all fours, stomach cramping, body retching as he spewed out vomit and most of the meat, the Hound had just wolved down. Some of the bile landed on her boots, yet Jinx did not even flinch.

"Would you have preferred it if I had killed them?", Jinx asked detached and unimpressed, "They were dead the moment they entered the factory alongside you, Ekko. I merely chose to allow your Hound to come out because you clearly haven't been feeding him. But even if he had been fed, the Chem-Techs would have gored every one of them, should Pow-Pow not get a hold of them first. You were fighting alongside corpses, Boy Saviour. You just didn't know it yet."

Jinx grabbed Ekko by his dreadlocks and forced him on his feet. She spat: "You trespassed into this factory. Not accidentally, even. You planned this. You thought you could just damage Papa's investment and I won't interfere! You are even dumber than you look." She kicked him against the shins, causing Ekko to stumble and fall lengthwise into his puddle of vomit. "The next time, I catch you doing something like this, I am gonna have you Hound out in your little, special secret place and kill the Firelights - women, men and children. Now go home, Boy Saviour, and thank Janna that I am not following you!"

Ever the loyal hound that her Wolver was, it stood its ground in its protectiveness over Jinx, but did not attack. Nor would it until Jinx told it exactly what to do would it act on her order. As such when she put herself into between them, it knew her answer. The hound glanced down at her hand for a second as it felt her hand on it's chest before backing away. The hound still growled at the ChemTanks but it relaxed its body, the intention to kill melting away instantly.

The hand on its chin was enough to capture its full attention again as the hound nodded it's head in compliance. In all the time they'd spent together, and through Ekko's memories, it knew how much Silco mattered to Jinx. Attacking those who worked for Silco would be a bad idea, and would likely earn it punishment. That was the last thing it wanted.

However, the second it calmed down fully, Ekko's body collapsed onto the ground as the hound shimmer finally ran its course. Slowly and painfully his body began to change back into its normal shape, the limbs contorting back into place. His ruined coat heavily seeming so much bigger again, encumbering him. Ekko's voice let out a scream of agony as he too was coming to himself again. Eyes opened wide as the pain faded, only for the memory of what the hound had done to cause an entirely different kind of pain.

"What...did I...?" Once bright purple eyes were, now dark in color. Immediately noted the blood that overtook his hands, which could only mean one thing. Ekko crawled quickly away from Jinx, his legs rubbing against the hard surface of the floor of the factory and covering them in blood. That's when he felt himself bump into something hard, several somethings. "What did you make me do?"

Immediate regret hit as Ekko turned his head to see what is back hit. The sight of seeing his fallen family was enough to cause his whole body to tremble. The memories of what the hound had done, the way it tore into them all with such glee, was enough to make him feel sick. He could feel bile rise up in his throat, more than that the meat he had devoured. As such he got on his hands and knees and instantly vomited, bits of flesh and blood poured out like a never ending fountain.

It was until it stopped coming out that anger riled up. "Their dead...they are all dead..." His voice trembled, fearful of what he was going to tell the rest of the firelights when he returned. If he could get himself to return after this. "You forced me to kill them, why?"

[shimmerbeasts]

"And here we go." Jinx softly fastened the last screw. "Now, we are done." Looking at the small mechanical Firelight, she was balancing on her fingers, the Loose Canon giggled in her perch in the rafters. "Go on then. Off you pop."

Jinx flicked her wrist and sent the Firelight flying. Its soft mechanical wiring filled the air as it flew around the office before it dandily landed. on the desk in front of Silco. The moment its two antennas hit, a slightly metallic-sounding voice could be heard: "Hello, hello, hello. This is a pre-recording. Ding, ding, ding. Let's hope this works."

Dialogue starter for @jynxd

[shimmerbeasts]

"I am sorry I lost the target." Jinx sat on Silco's desk, her boots pushed softly against his thighs and her head snuggled against cupped fingers, which held onto the injector. "We passed the old Arcade and suddenly, they were all too loud again. I... I didn't mean to freeze. But it is how the target got away. I don't even remember where it went."

Dialogue starter for @zaunseye.

[shimmerbeasts]

When the young bard's body hit the water, Withers looked up from his scrolls. His eyes soon locked on Jinx, fully knowing what she had done.

"It is no business of mine to prove innocence or guilt," he shrugged. "Or to punish. But know this..."

He raised a finger, wagging it. "The gods are not blind to thy deeds."

Jinx peered back at Withers as he wagged his finger in warning. The tiefling blinked, heterochromatic eyes of demonic purple and blue shimmering in the dim light of the moon above their heads. Her purple tattoo, sprawling across her right eye and the side of her face, twitched in tandem with the sour smile flitting across her features.

Jinx said: "If the gods judge me for every deed I perform, they will have to judge every man, woman and child, who ever raised a hand against someone else, even in play. And what about the animals, Withers? Are they being judged too? Do you judge a wolf for taking down a deer?"

She tapped a clawed finger against her lips as she approached the mummified skeleton and sat down on a small stool near the books, scrolls and other fancy trinkets, he loved reading and tinkering with so much. Jinx plucked the skull of a small critter from a pile and pulled out her knife. Widdling around with it, she proceeded to carefully pry open the back of the skull and scooped out the brain with two fingers. The cold, slimy and awkwardly squishy substance did not even make her flinch.

As Jinx tinkered with the skull, eyes wide and shining in hyper fixation, her tail doing a funny, little twirl around its tip, she continued: "Or would it have been better if I had let her stay in our camp? Even though I gutted her the previous night. Oh, I am sure that would have gone swell! Absolutely perfect. Nobody would freak out at all!" She wiggled her fingers for added dramatics.

"Alternatively, I could have eaten her. I mean, the fire ain't out yet, and I know what pieces of a body are the most nutritious. Oh, great, now I am contemplating if I should have taken out her liver. I am surprised I even forgot to do that. I am normally more meticulous. ... I think I am at least."

Her heterochromatic eyes drifted over towards the fireplace. Most of the embers had died down already and the smoke laced the air like an intoxicating perfume. Jinx dumped the brain on the floor. Holding up the skull, she squinted in curiosity as she examined the empty cavern. Her fangs bit down on her lips as she grinned to herself, delighted by what she was working on.

@withered-scribe cont. from here.

[shimmerbeasts]

"Very weird", Jinx agreed, "Did you even meet that Vlad guy at all? For me, you aren't anyone's guard dog unless you know them well and they are everything for you. Like Silco is for me." Her head cocked aside. Jinx admitted: "You know, sometimes my inner beast also talks to me. Wants me to go on more hunts, tear more people apart and eat them all." Jinx brushed some of Briar's hair away as she asked in confusion what she was again. "Why not call yourself a monster? Monsters thrive, whereas people die. You sure seem like a monster to me."

" Yet? I thought I already was a guard dog! A lot of the hemomancy people would call me that sometimes. Vlad's loyal guard dog or something. Weird huh? " Tilting her head, her brow furrowed with confusion. " Conditioning? I don't think The Hunger really responds to anything. I don't even understand it but it always tries to talk to me. If I can't even understand it then, I don't know how they could. I don't understand, how is being called a female dog bad? It's kinda true isn't it? Unless. . . I'm not a dog. If I'm not a dog, or a person, or . . . What am I? I don't think weapon is a species. "

[shimmerbeasts]

@jynxd cont. from here. Something that that Silco had discovered very early on was that Jinx had always been such a touch starved girl. Knew the moment she launched herself into his arms on that rainy day. An innocent child, throwing herself into the hands of a monster. A monster who, until that moment, held a bloody a knife in his hands. She'd so easily disarmed him, even before that moment. This was nearly reminiscent of that, the way she came running at him. This time, however, they were both their own monsters, a child into a fathers arms. While he had seen her coming, she did still manage to knock him do the ground, with much less effort than her younger self had no less. "Is something bothering you, Jinx?" Silco spoke, though he wasn't bothered by the closeness. He, too, had grown fond of these softer moments, as so often his life was anything but soft. Perhaps he too, was a tad touch starved, in the that respect. Not that anyone had the right to know such personal details about him.

"It appears you've managed to disarm me, as always, Jinx." Silco brought a hand up to press against her back, brushing it softly. His other hand brushed through sapphire hair, navigating down long braids. "You've gotten stronger, Jinx. I'm so proud of you, so very proud."

In the moment when Jinx had thrown herself at Silco's arms when she had been nothing but fragile Powder - a kitten, who had only just now started using her fangs and claws -, she had done so more because she needed an emotional anchor and comfort. A warm body, which could keep her protected and safe from the harsh reality, she had found herself in. However, this had not been a sign of touch-starvedness. It had been Powder, making a choice.

For Powder and now as an adult ocelot, Jinx had the exact same love language: Touch. Even when she had been little, she would keep running back to Silco, circle around him, rub herself against his legs, even if that already destabilised him - he had once mentioned something about his bad eye giving him trouble with his balance - and thug at his arm when she wanted to show him something, she had noticed. And of course, there had been hugs. Back hugs, side hugs, jumping up at him. Not a day would pass when Jinx didn't hug Silco as hard as her meagre body allowed.

That this was not always good for Silco's balance was proven yet again. Jinx came rushing towards her father, sapphire-blue eyes flashing in wild excitement and a fanged smile on her dark lips. Taking into the air, she threw her arms around Silco's midriff and knocked the much older man off his feet with mocking ease. The girl buried her cheek against his black vest and gave it a soft sniff, just happy to smell the familiar blend of leather, those expensive cigars and the strange perfume, which all combined made Silco smell of Silco.

Her father's hands found their way around her like the way a shark might swim closer and closer until its body graced yours. A soothing weight on the small of her back, shifting around in low circles on one end and on the other hand, a slim hand worked its way up and down her long, serpentine, cobalt-blue braids, encasing them in delicious warmth. As Silco asked her what bothered her, Jinx looked up and gave him the brightest smile.

"Of course, I am stronger now, Silly!", Jinx teased her father back, "After all, that training with that brutish bear had to pay off eventually." She chuckled happily before she eased off him and grabbed his wrist. Half-thugging, half-pulling him up, she revealed excitedly: "I finally finished building Pow-Pow! You gotta see her! She is magnificent and pretty and loud and she is gonna hunt those buggy Firelights to kingdom come! Come on, Papa!"

[shimmerbeasts]

😋 (from silco )

Your affection||Accepting.

😋  to  give  my  muse  their  favorite  snack.

Sometimes when Jinx was fiddling with an invention, the hours blended into one and she easily forgot the passage of time. Bodily functions like needing to pee or grabbing a bite to eat became irrelevant. The voices in her head had been replaced with iron-clad determination, and for that, her body was merely a vessel and its needs secondary.

After the successful testing of the mechanical Firelight in The Last Drop, Jinx was busily mass-producing multiple of them. And even though she had to do the same task with minor alterations, depending on whether she was crafting a bomb or building in a recorder, her focus remained unbroken. Her gramophone filled her workshop with rock music, to which Jinx's body swayed from side to side. Even so, her hands kept still as they welded together copper plates as thin as a hair and planted gears into the complex belly of the beasts.

A familiar smell caused her stomach to rumble loudly and the young Zaunite froze. Placing the half-finished Firelight down, she rubbed at her belly, surprised and confused for a few seconds as to why it was making such noises.

A tired whisper reached her ear and she could feel the clay underneath her boots: "We haven't eaten anything today."

"We haven't?"

Jinx turned towards the small plush doll, hanging from its string. He was wearing Claggor's goggles and as he swayed from side to side in the mild breeze, Jinx could hear Claggor speak again: "You need lunch."

Jinx slouched back in her chair and pawed at her stomach with her hand as if she tried to shush it. Part of her knew that Claggor was right and she should get up and grab a bite to eat. At the same time though, she was finishing a Firelight and didn't want to have to disrupt her workflow for something as mundane as eating food. Her head lolled upwards and she gave a mewling whine of protest. Bodily functions sucked! Why did her stomach decide now it was time for lunch?!? Why couldn't it wait five more minutes?

Steps caught her attention and made her swivel around in her chair. "Papa?", Jinx asked in surprise as Silco ventured down the fan blade and stopped before her workstation. He was holding a bowl of hot steaming gravy in his hands. Large dice of meat bopped around in the bowl, their flesh covered in a nice, well-roasted crust. The familiar smell made Jinx's mouth water.

She called out: "Is that human meat?" Jinx greedily reached for the bowl, only barely refraining from ripping it from Silco's hands. "For me? Did you make Chuck cook? Silly, you shouldn't have!"

[shimmerbeasts]

Morgana chose to take 'freaking others out' as a compliment, though Jinx was entirely right. Her disguise in Zaun was meant to terrify people and keep them away, but even without her disguise, some people still seemed to find her human glamour... creepy? Morgana accepted the dress and accessory that Jinx handed her with a bewildered blink. The scent wafted and she crinkled her nose. It was very heavily scented of some layered floral mixture, and possibly sweat? Had Jinx stolen this from someone's laundry or was it sold to her with this added charm? It at least roughly seemed about her size. "Babette's girls?" she recalled the name, though she had never entered that establishment, but she was somewhat aware of its business. Regardless, it was a kind gesture from Jinx that may help her look more approachable in Zaun. She gave her a small smile. "Thank you for the present. I prefer dresses, soI appreciate the thought. I can give it a try right now" she stepped into the nearby room and shut the door politely. Now to wrestle herself into this thing... Morgana stepped out awkwardly seven minutes later. The dress was somewhere around her size, but pressed tightly against Morgana's hips, which took some effort to get past. It accented her figure well, and hugged Morgana's skin just a small margin too tight at the thighs. She supposed the gloves gave the outfit some added coherence. Morgana had never worn a dress in this style before, and she was showing a lot more skin than she was accustomed to. Her skin was pale even in her human glamour. "Does this look alright?" she asked. She did not know much about Zaunite fashion to make a conclusion.

"Yeah", Jinx said off-handedly, "The brutish bear likes going there in her spare time. Even I sometimes went. There are some girls, who can handle me. But for most, I end up being too creepy and unsettling. Either way, it was the only place, I could think of, which had Zaunite dresses. I am not gonna be stupid enough to stick you in a Piltie gown. They are just dreadfully tight! Yuck!"

She remembered back when she had crashed a Piltie's daughter's wedding, she had worn a petticoat, and she had pretty much hated every second of it. The corset had been tight and she missed the feeling of naked skin kissed by the chilly air. The dress had only been made bearable by knowing of all the Chompers, Jinx had hidden inside it. They had made crashing that stupid snore fest of a wedding worth it. The Enforcers had not even been able to stop her! They clearly must have been led by a rookie and his buddies, dumb and dumber.

Jinx curiously waited for Morgana to come out of the side room. When the woman - the monster? - revealed herself again, Jinx leaned forward with a small smile, drinking in the new appearance. The black dress was her size, however, it fought its way past her hips. The skirt wrapped tightly around her thighs as if it wanted to devour them. Morgana's nervous posturing made her appear more exposed and open than she was. The gauntlets ensured that parts of her arms were neatly covered and her luscious, black hair made her shoulders seem less bare.

Jinx licked her lips briefly and said: "You are looking magnificent. Though, Mo, change your posture a bit. Every bat, which isn't completely blind, can smell, you are not used to wearing such exposing clothing. Carry yourself like you can take on the whole world! It works every time."

@veiled-lady cont. from here.

[shimmerbeasts]

Unnoticed by Jinx, Sevika had recognised the mistake, she had made. The deputy gave an apologetic nod, understanding that she had pushed things too far. While it probably would border a miracle if Sevika ever were to defend Jinx, she also did not go out of her way to completely put the girl on the spot. Did they butt heads regularly to the point it could become grating? Yes. However, at the end of the day, Jinx was as much a part of Silco's gang as any other member; and while Sevika harboured barely a crumb of respect for Jinx, she respected gang structures like no other.

Sevika swiftly left the bar and headed for the jukebox. Soon enough, a new song filled The Last Drop. Marching back towards her spot by the bar counter, Sevika said loudly and demonstratively: "Alright, you lot! Go on with your business! There is nothing to see here." She stopped before Silco and Jinx shielding them from view. The comodo dragon's nostrils opened and shut and its heavy tail slammed upon the ground.

The regulars had caught the message, which Sevika did not speak. Anybody who breathed a word of this out onto the Lanes or, worse, the other territories, Sevika would pay them a visit personally and make sure their cheeks were scraped across a wall until they bled. This situation wasn't just a danger for Jinx to be exposed like this. Everybody in the Undercity knew how strongly Silco was connected to his daughter. And unfortunately, there were still some people, who tried to see the foundling against her father.

A bad judgement call, if you had to ask Sevika. Unlike Vander, Silco hadn't become softer through parenthood. If anything, sometimes it seemed that his affection for that brat drove him to new heights of cruelty. The Cause for Zaun's independence had been a fire for both of them, but with Jinx, it seemed Silco had found a fuel unlike any other for that very same fire.

Jinx didn't register anything concerning Sevika. All she cared about was Mylo, who kept laughing in her face, voice a taunting echo in her ears: "What's the matter, baby sister? You had no problems shooting me back then. Why are you struggling now? Just pull the trigger." Jinx's breathing heaved in her chest. Mylo seemed to flicker. Sometimes, he was Mylo, sometimes, he was Thieram. Jinx clamped her teeth together, hissing with chops pulled back and spit flying off sharp fangs.

It's a trick, it's a trick, it's a trick, her mind screeched, overbearing waves of nausea crashing down upon her and making her legs cramp and tremble, He's trying to fool you! Do not let him.

There was something else. A hand on her shoulder and warm breath near her ear. A familiar voice whispering something. It was hard to make out over the yells of her own mind. "Mylo is tricking you." It's a trick! The words overlapped each other, but now the familiar smooth, silken, almost raspy voice overpowered the frantic shrieking.

How had another hand landed on her pistol? The dark crimson sleeve, laced with golden thread, was as familiar as the gentle pressure upon her wrist. Her heart stopped slamming itself against her ribcage like it tried to escape so desperately. Air filled Jinx's lungs as she focussed on nothing but the voice. "Listen to my voice. Put Zapper away, and have your drink."

Your drink? Oh, that was right! She had a glass of whiskey sour in front of her. Jinx was breathing through her open mouth now, her body deflating and turning smaller as she began to become more aware of the world around her. Mylo's body was fading in and out of her conscience, his voice quieter by the second. Instead of feeling like she had just fallen into a bush of nettles, she could feel steady soil under her feet and smell leaves after the rain. Together with a calm, pleasant humming voice going: "What's the matter, Mylo? You're worried Powder is gonna beat you again."

"Return to me, Jinx."

Silco.

Jinx gasped and wheezed before her body tilted sideways and she snuggled against Silco's side. Zapper laid uselessly on her lap. Her hands were shaking. She could catch the smell of Sevika's cigarolli. Sapphire-blue eyes shot up tiredly to make out the deputy by Silco's side, her back against the bar and her grey eyes keeping an eye on its inhabitants.

"I'm sorry", Jinx told Silco ruefully, not leaving his side, but also not meeting his eyes, "I am sorry I screwed up that mission from last week. I thought I could catch that Firelight with the stolen cargo on my own."

Sevika rolled her eyes with a groan and turned around to look at them. Exhaling the smoke, she said: "Jinx, you managed to notice one of the Firelights trying to steal that box mid-fight. You even went after the bloody brat. Am I angry that box broke in your fight with them? Yes. Should I have taken that anger out on you? Probably not. So quit beating yourself up over it."

He right then by her tone that things were not fine. They were far from fine. "Sevika." He gave Sevika a short look to signal for her to stop her smirking, his brow furrowed and lips pressed to a thin line. Then, his shoulders tensed imperceptibly as he turned to face Jinx more directly. The damn had already burst in her mind, from the way she was looking around, and he was one of the few who had any success in stemming the tide.

The flow of thought and panic was much harsher than other times, seeming to seize her by the chest and induce a sense of fury from within. That fury was a useful tool, meant to be aimed at their enemies, but as he also knew, it was common for her to 'misfire' in the direction of her allies. Sevika had plenty of personal experience with that.

As soon as the gun flashed, he was ready. Poor Thieram, on the other hand, was not, and yelped out a panicked shout before backing up against the bar shelves. A few bottles of bottom shelf liquor fell off and crashed onto the floor, spilling out all over the wooden planks below. The entire bar went static with the clatter, several parties of people turning to look at the situation. The song on the jukebox came to an abrupt end, leaving only the tense silence of a life threatened.

He couldn't let his daughter be put on the spot like this. Not so many eyes. He looked to Sevika, letting out the order, "Another song. Quickly. And stop their staring."

Silco was not afraid. He didn't even look perturbed. He reached over, placing a hand on Jinx's shoulder and leaning in close to whisper into her ear, "You're right to be angry, but you have the wrong one, child. Mylo is tricking you." He reached out with his other hand, gently taking hold of the gun in her grip, but not trying to pry it away. It was more of a gesture to further ground her, surrounding her with his touch. "Listen to my voice. Put Zapper away, and have your drink."

He placed gentle pressure on the top of the gun, with the aim of pushing her extended arm downward, pointing it away from Thieram's head. "Return to me, Jinx."

[shimmerbeasts]

"That's yours?" Jinx tossed the strange, elegant-looking device into the air and caught it with her hand. She gave a sly grin. "Sorry, not sorry, but finders, keepers, blondie!"

Dialogue Starter for @mythicspiration (Ezrael)

[shimmerbeasts]

@weavertali gets a small experimental starter set in a hypothetical Star Guardian Verse.

The one aspect of being a Star Guardian, which Jinx had never really been able to warm up to properly was the whole duty part. "You have a responsibility to protect the world." "Star Guardians kill monsters. We do not harm people." "You must learn to temper yourself, Jinx." "Star Guardians are not chaotic." Blah, blah, blah! Boring! Super boring! All Janna's drivel ended up meaning for Jinx was: "We hate you being you. Stop being you and start taking things more seriously."

On some particularly bad days, Jinx thought it to mean: "You do not deserve those powers. You do not deserve to be a Star Guardian. First Star must have made a mistake when it chose you."

Today's training session had been a disaster. It probably hadn't helped that Jinx had been paired with Janna out of all people. Whose idea was this?! All the veteran Star Guardian had done was complain about Jinx's form and her 'enthusiasm for violence', giving some stupid vague warnings about darker impulses leaving you open to corruption. Horse shit! Janna was full of dinosaur doodoo.

Eventually, she had gotten so sick of the constant berating that Jinx had used her powers to quickly half-teleport and half-fly away. She needed to be alone. She couldn't handle Janna right now. She couldn't handle Poppy either. Miss World Hero had stared after her as she had flown away like the very idea of leaving training was somehow punishable by death.

They could all go to, well, not really hell. More like a starless night. Wherever Star Guardians go after they die. The void? Double void? Was that a thing?

Jinx had settled down on the brim of a chimney, her feet dangling precariously off the edge. The chill of the night air kissed her bare skin but the First Star's power was like being your own heater. Jinx barely even shuddered. Shiro and Kuro were circling the guardian, noticing her gloomy thoughts. Despite the lack of wings, both magical mediums were more than capable of flight much like their mistress.

Unlike other magical mediums, which were soft and fluffy looking, maybe even cuddly, Jinx's creatures looked more like the beasts of a horror tale. Shiro had settled down beside her, his white skull with glowing red eyes making the slim ocelot-like creature so very hard to read. Sometimes, he looked even less physical, safe for the bones of his face. His white pelt was dotted and sprinkled with pale grey or silver dots, markings and stripes.

Kuro, meanwhile, had a long serpentine body, though Jinx always swore his hide felt more like touching a shark than scales. Even his black fur was so dense and fine, it seemed to blend into his hide. Sharp claws prickled her shoulders as the cat's upper body craned sideways and peered up at Jinx. Kuro's tail wrapped around her body in a tight hug. Much like Shiro, he had not shut up, softly meowing and purring at her.

"I am not in the mood, guys", Jinx said with a defeated sigh as she snuggled against both mediums. "Kuro, your idea with the firework is cute and all, but my heart ain't in it. Why did anybody think making me spar with Janna was a good idea? She was just gonna pester me anyhow."

She cupped each of her cat medium's horrific chins and fondly looked into their eyes. "You think I am a good Star Guardian, right? There is nobody who wreaks carnage quite like me. I mean who needs starlight anyway? Just tell me what has to be blown up." She laughed and the mediums laughed alongside her.

However, Shiro suddenly got up and floated into the air. Growling, he put his ears back, his weird feathery decoration around his neck bristling. Kuro looked up too, snarled in alarm and swiftly turned himself invisible. Even around other Star Guardians, her rocket launcher rarely showed itself. Almost as if he knew Shiro created enough problems of his own.

Mistrustfully, Jinx rose too and reached up with her hands. Shiro swiftly morphed into her trusted Gatling Gun, which the Loose Canon of a Star Guardian was now directing at the approaching figure. She called out: "Whoever you are, I may have skipped training today, but I can still whoop your ass!"

Her fingers flexed around Shiro's trigger as the figure came closer and closer. It took every ounce of the miserable pile of patience, Jinx possessed, to not give in to the urge to fire wildly at the approaching assailant. Jinx had never taken the whole difference between friend and foe seriously.

However, it paid off that she had waited for as the figure came shooting closer, Jinx recognised a fellow Star Guardian. The pale, rose-coloured hair, the fair brown skin and that whitish-pink dress with its long golden and rose-coloured bands attached to the sleeves were easily recognisable.

"Taliyah?", Jinx called in surprise and lowered Shiro, however, she did not allow her rocket launcher to turn back just yet. Kuro's claws dug deeper into her skin as his eyes bore deeply into the other Star Guardian, still completely concealed. "What are you doing here? Did Janna send you?"